MANILA, Philippines– Vice President Sara Duterte, during a visit to The Hague, Netherlands, stated that she is not obligated to attend President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), reaffirming her decision to skip the event.
The Vice President made the statement while visiting former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity. Her remarks were in response to statements made by House of Representatives spokesperson Princess Abante, who earlier emphasized that attending the SONA is an expected responsibility of the Vice President.
Duterte countered that there is no legal requirement for her—or any Filipino citizen—to attend or listen to the President’s address. She maintained that it is the President’s duty to deliver information to the public, not the public’s duty to be physically present for the address.
President Marcos Jr.’s SONA, now in its fourth year, remains a major event outlining the administration’s accomplishments and policy agenda.